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Massive renos are all over Forest Hill South,
which exudes both traditional respectability
and a rabid desire to keep up

Real Estate Guide › Central

Forest Hill South

Average 2008 sale price:

$1,492,486

Property crime:

average

Crime against people:

very low

Neighbourhood map:

See map

Grounded at its southern end by those two bastions of affluence, Upper Canada College and Forest Hill Village, the area bounded by Avenue, Bathurst, St. Clair and Eglinton has some swagger. Completely developed by the 1930s, the area exudes both traditional respectability and a rabid desire to keep up. Front-lawn dumpsters are common, due to the prevalence of massive renovations. Homes are big, as in Brian Gluckstein’s six-bedroom, six-bath 1913 design showcase, and the seven-bedroom “Forest Hill Landmark” that sold for $3.85 million last year. They also come in every style, from French Colonial with terra cotta tiles to English country manors with Tudor boarding and sweeping lawns. Utilitarian brick is usually well hidden behind stucco or stone, and the houses come loaded with such luxurious details as sculpture gardens, porte cochères and imposing gated entrances.

HOUSING STOCK: Forest Hill was traditionally dominated by Tudors and Georgians—which is still the trend today—but French Provincials and the occasional ultra-modern design now dot the neighbourhood as well.

BARGAIN ZONES: Roughly $1.5 million will buy a 40-foot lot in lower Forest Hill Village, on the western side of Spadina, though homes in Chaplin Estates can be had for under $1 million. Of course, you’ll want to save money to tear down that house and replace it with a bigger, better stone Tudor.

THE VERDICT: Forest Hill’s proximity to downtown makes it a relatively safe investment area and, as evidenced by the number of extensive renovation projects on the go, demand for property remains strong. Forest Hill Village, with its mixed demographic, is embracing a more casual feel, rather than the pretentiousness it has been well-known for in years past.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Hope Street Café Arrive early on weekends for the impressive brunch spread, which includes eggs Benny with avocado and citrus hollandaise sauce. 324–326 Lonsdale Rd., 416-481-4834.
Type Books The second incarnation of the beloved Queen West original has all the same indie bookstore magic you’d expect. 394 Spadina Rd., 416-487-8973.
Village Chill This shop serves up frozen yogurt, and ice cream from Ontario’s Kawartha Dairy in such unusual and tasty flavours as mangosteen. 325B Lonsdale Rd., 416-481-2117.